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Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell, chairman of the school’s board of regents, had a social media spat with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark over a Red Raiders football game likely to move to Friday night this coming season.
It may seem like a trivial game, but Campbell, who has become one of the most prominent boosters in college sports, wrote on X that the game between Texas Tech and Houston should remain as scheduled on Saturday, September 19.
Why? Campbell argued that the “Friday Night Lights” in Texas are “sacred” to high school football.
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Cody Campbell stands backstage during ESPN’s College GameDay at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas on Nov. 8, 2025. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
“Friday Night Lights are sacred in the great state of Texas! It’s absolutely absurd that the @Big12Conference and @FOXSports would consider scheduling @TexasTechFB and @UHCougarFB on a Friday night (October 18)!! I know @brettyormark hasn’t been a native Texan long enough to know he’s been here long enough!” Campbell posted even though it should read September – not October 18th.
Asked about Campbell’s tweet, Yormark told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on Wednesday, “Cody Campbell is not running the Big 12.”
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Yormark added that the league’s board of directors and athletic directors approved 12 games a year not being played on Saturdays to boost Big 12 viewership. As a result, a Texas Tech game was expected to be one of them due to their status in college football.
“Friday Night Football’s Big 12 games outpaced the conference’s average rating by 64% in 2025,” Yormark added. “All of our schools are treated equally during the television scheduling process, and this game fits within our scheduling parameters. I’m grateful that our television partners give us these opportunities.”
However, Campbell continued to push back at Yormark, posting another tweet Thursday that added another hot topic for Red Raiders football — their now-banned tortilla celebration.
The Big 12 banned the tortilla-throwing celebration at Jones AT&T Stadium and threatened the university with fines if fans continued.
Commissioner Brett Yormark gestures before the Big 12 Championship game between Texas Tech and BYU at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 6, 2025. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
“Apparently Brett didn’t get the memo: EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH LUBBOCK!!,” Campbell tweeted, referring to a famous line from head coach Joey McGuire, who was caught saying it in the locker room after a 2022 win over Texas. “Maybe we should bring back the tortillas??”
Campbell spoke to ESPN about Yormark, where he continued to take jabs at him.
“As commissioner, he has to remember that he works for the presidents and the presidents work for the boards,” Campbell told the newspaper. “He is not the dictator of the conference. That is not his role. It is his responsibility to speak for his members in all cases.”
Campbell told the Avalanche-Journal that he feels it’s too late to change Texas Tech’s game against Houston, adding that it wouldn’t be good for the team considering their previous game is a trip to Oregon State on Sept. 12.
Cody Campbell stands on the field after the Big 12 Championship game between Texas Tech and BYU at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 6, 2025. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
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Campbell hasn’t shied away from addressing his thinking in college sports, especially when it comes to media rights. He has advocated for the conferences to combine their rights into one entity like a professional sports league, though he has seen serious decline on that front. He was also part of President Donald Trump’s “Saving College Sports” roundtable that took place at the White House on March 6.
Campbell is a former Texas Tech offensive lineman responsible for founding the Matador Club, the NIL collective that has been at the forefront of revamping Texas Tech athletics in hopes of turning them into a powerhouse across all sports.
